Iters



(No Model.)

- 2 Sheets-Sheet R. BORMISTON. THAWING APPARATUS.

Patented June 14, 1898.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

R. B. ORMISTON., THAWING APPARATUS.

No. 605,556. Patented June 14,1898.

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UNITED STATES PATENT rrrcn.

ROBERT n. oRMisToN, or WINNIPEG, oANAnA.

THAwmeAPPARTUs. Y

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 605,556, dated J une 14,1898.

Application led January 28, 1898*. Serial No. 668,337. (No model.)

TOLLZZ whom t 11i/ty con/cern.-

Beit known that I, ROBERT B. ORMIsToN, a

Vcitizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing My inven tion contemplates the provision of an apparatus adapted to expeditiously thaw frozen earth and thereby facilitate the sinking of shafts or pits therein, and it will be fully understood from the following description and claims when taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, in which- Figure l is a vertical section of my iniproved apparatus in its operativeposition. Figs. 2, 3, anda are horizontal sections taken in the planes indicated by the lines on x, y y, and a a, respectively, of Fig. l and Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view illustrative of the preferred manner in which the partitionstrips are connected with the center plate.

In the said drawings similar letters designate corresponding parts in all of the several views, referring to which- A designates the fire-box of my improved apparatus, which is preferably of a general circular form, as shown, and is made of sheetiron or other suitable material. The said fireboX comprises a side wall a, a top wall o, having one or more (preferably two) suitable doors c for the introduction of fuel and the removal of ashes and other products of combustion, and a bottom wall d, which is of a less diameter than the top wall, so as'to form an annular passage e between its edge and-the side wall a, and is disposed above the lower edge of the said Wall d, so that when the firebox is placed on the ground an inclosed space or chamber e' will be formed between its bottom wall and the groundV fora purpose pres.-

ently described. At its center the bottom' ably formed after the manner illustrated .in

Fig. 5--that is to say, by forming right-angle cuts in the plate at the periphery thereof and bending the metal downwardly. The lugs h are designed for the connection of the inner the bottom wall d, and in order to increase' the length of the said ways 7c the strips are preferably curved, as shown.

B designates an uptake or -smoke pipe,

which maybe of any suitable length and has l its' lower end connected with the aperture f in the bottom wall d, so as to receive smoke and other products of combustion from the inner terminals of the passages .1.3. The said connection of the uptake or smoke-pipe B with the aperture f may be effected in any desired manner. I prefer, however, to connect it to the side of a hood Z, which is connected to the bottom wall d and is provided with a dome-shaped top for a purpose presently described. t

C designates a suitable blower-casing which .has an inlet-opening m for air and is connected by a conduit 'n with the fire-box A, preferably at a point above the hood Z, as shown. The said casing C contains a blower D, which may be of any suitable construction and may be actuated by hand or by a suitable motor, as desired.

In the practical operation of the apparatus i the fire-box is placed on the ground at the point where it is desired to dig, and a fire isbuilt in the same and lighted. As soon as this is done the blower D is actuated, with the result that a continuous blast of air will be forced down the conduit n, through the firebox A, vpassage e, and passages k, and-up and out through the uptake or smokepipe B. vAs the blast of air enters the nre-box it will strike the dome-shaped top of the hood Zand will be spread thereby over there, so as to promote combustion and insure the occupa- IOO tion of the passages k by a continuous large volume of iiame and heated air. The said passages lc being contiguous to the earth, it follows that that portion of the same beneath the fire-box will be quickly thawed to a considerable depth. With this done the apparatus is removed by a hoisting apparatus connected to rings p or by other suitable means, so as to permit of the thawed earth being removed. After the removal of the thawed earth the nre-box is replaced in the pit orhole and the operation before described is repeated. This is done until the shaft or pitis of the desired depth.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that my apparatus is capable of quickly thawing earth no matter how hard the same is frozen and that it thus materially facilitates the formation ofY shafts or pits in the ground when the weather is cold. It will also be appreciated that the apparatus is adapted to burn brush and the like and that it may therefore be operated very cheaply.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is l. An earth-thawing apparatus comprising a lire-box having a side wall and a bottom wall disposed in a plane above the lower edge of said side wall so as to form an inclosed space between said bottom wall and the ground and also having an open passage between thc edge of said bottom wall and the side wall, a suitable blower connected with the interior of the fire-box, and a smoke-pipe 3o connected with the space below the bottom of the fire-box at the center thereof and extending through said iire-box, substantially as specified.

2. An eartlrthawin g apparatus eomprisin g 3 5 a nre-box having its bottom wall disposed in a plane above the lower edge of its side wall so as to form an inclosed space between said bottom wall and the ground and also having an annular passage between the edge of said 4o bottom wall and the side wall, an aperture in the center of its bottom wall7 and partitionstrips connected to and depending Afrom its bottom wall and forming ways intern'iediatc of the annular passage and the central aper- 45 ture, a smoke-pipe connected with Ithe cen-i tral aperture in the bottom wall of the nrebox7 and a blower connected with the interior of the fire-box, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 5o my hand in presence of two subscribing wit- HGSSCS.

ROBERT B. ORMIS'ION. lVitnesses:

WALTER Cnnstrmzrov, A. lLxUsLAUon. 

